Have Faith in Me (ROUGH DRAFT)
by Laitie
Summary: There's a lot more to Dark's story than even he knows. The gang is in high school, now. And a lot of new developments are coming that will change the way everyone sees the world. Oh, and Dark needs to save the world, too.
1. In Which Faith Keeps Falling

A/N: I'm becoming a very serious writer. So posting things up so casually, chapter-by-chapter, no longer feels very comfortable for me. So I thought of posting the warning of "ROUGH DRAFT" up on top.

I would love constructive criticism. I'm so very invested in this fic that I can no longer tell what it looks like from the outside. So I need help. Please comment. Without comments, I have no more reason to keep posting. So, yeah.

Also, at the posting of this chapter, I'm so close to the climax of the whole anime. But I haven't finished it quite yet. My fingers were itching to write.

* * *

"Keiko-kun!"

"Yeah, Keiko-kun! She could do it!"

Faith blinked and looked up from her canvas at the sound of her given name. Even though part of the point of Art Club was socializing, she had been too intent on drawing out the geisha she intended to paint to hear the current conversation. Again.

"Won't you paint it, Keiko-kun?" Harada Risa was asking her from her stool by her left arm.

"Paint what?"

"The new mural," Adachi-sensei replied patiently. He stepped up to her and she turned her attention to him. "I was just talking about how we needed volunteers to design and paint a new mural on that wall by the entrance of the school. Something to show visitors how great a school this is. Interested?"

She bit her lip as she thought. A mural like that was a big job. And she really needed to start focusing on other, more pressing matters in the upcoming weeks. But...

"Sure," she said with a grin. "Sounds great!"

"Yay!" Risa cheered. "Oh, thank you, Keiko-kun! I knew we could rely on you!" She reached over and hugged her friend. "And I'll be your faithful helper! I'll help you draw the base and bring you paints and-"

Faith laughed at her. "You don't know the first thing about painting on a canvas," she said, "let alone a mural on a wall. You're just interested in impressing your boyfriend."

"Shhh!" Risa urged, covering her friend's mouth. "Don't say his name!" she whispered, although everyone else had already shifted their attentions elsewhere.

Faith laughed again as she pulled away. "I wasn't gonna," she said lightly.

"Good," Risa said as the practiced painter returned her attention to her work. "And it's not _just_ to impress him," she went on. "I really want to help you. You know, paintings so beautiful I just..."

Faith tuned the girl out as her thoughts began to wander. She, Daisuke, and the Harada girls were already 16 years old. In spite of the short length of time, however, the demon Nadil's power was growing. It wouldn't be long at all before he was ready to strike.

But Daisuke and Dark were nowhere near ready. She hadn't even been able to confront them yet. They knew nothing.

She couldn't keep stalling. She had to say something. Soon.

"Who is that?"

Daisuke's voice broke through her thoughts. "Who's who?" she asked, looking around.

"On your canvas," he replied, gesturing to it. "Is it your mom?"

Faith turned her gaze back to her canvas with a puzzled look. The image of the geisha holding a lily had morphed into that of a woman cradling her baby. She knew the woman well; she looked much like her. The baby looked just like...

"No," she said softly, grinning. "No, it's not my mom. She's just some woman I had in my head."

"Oh," he said lightly. "Well, she's certainly beautiful."

"Well, I'm headed out," Adachi-sensei announced. "The weather report says there's a storm coming, so you should all think about heading home soon, too." The room of students agreed with their teacher and bid him goodbye before packing up their own things. Faith kept her blush hidden behind her brown hair as she followed suit.

It was just her and Daisuke left when a jolt of electricity shot through her system. She dropped her bag and grabbed at her heart as it sped.

"Hiro-kun!" When she could breathe again, she found herself on the floor. Daisuke was supporting her into a sitting position as her things were strewn about them. They must have slipped out of her bag when she dropped it. When did she drop it? When did she fall?

"I'm OK, Niwa," she assured him, her voice weak. "It was just this stupid heart."

"Again?" he asked, his voice laced with concern. When she didn't respond, he went on. "It's been happening more and more lately."

 _Because Nadil's strength keeps building_ , she thought. But of course she couldn't say that. Not while he still didn't know anything about that. "It was worse when I was little," she said, pushing away from him and gathering her things. "I'm fine."

Daisuke frowned. Her lie was obvious. But she knew he wouldn't press. Instead, he helped her with her things.

"Maybe Riku and I should walk you home," he suggested.

She shook her head. She had to go spy on Nadil tonight. Storms were a great way for him to gather strength. Maybe she could interfere with that. "I'll be OK," she said with a grin. "You and Riku have a date at that nice restaurant, right? She told me about it. You guys can't be late."

With her bag snapped shut, she went to stand.

And slipped.

Daisuke caught her again and helped her up, taking her bag.

"Hiro-kun, I really think-"

"Daisuke?" Riku peeked into the art room, spotting her boyfriend trying to keep her lightheaded-looking friend on her feet. "Keiko-kun?" she asked, her voice instantly turning from curiosity to concern. She rushed in. "Are you OK?"

Faith laughed. "I'm fine," she said. She pushed Daisuke away. "Just a stumble." She held her hand out for her bag. After a moment, Daisuke frowned and reached it out to her.

But Riku snatched it from him before Faith could take it.

"Your father asked me to look out for you," she scolded the artist. "Look at you! You're not even yelling at me right now. You always yell at us when we try to help you! Something's wrong!"

Faith sighed and rubbed her temples. "You don't understand, I-"

"I've got your bag. Daisuke will help you when you fall. Let's go." With that, Riku turned on her heel and headed out.

Faith and Daisuke watched her go for a moment. "I think I'm starting to rub off on her," she murmured. The two shared a laugh.

"Stop joking and start walking!" Riku called back to them. Faith snorted before turning her attention back to her feet. She lifted one foot up and-

 _Faith_.

This time, her heart stopped. This time, her school books didn't fall all over the floor. This time, Daisuke caught her before her head made contact with the tiles.

"Hiro-kun," he said softly, helping her stand. She didn't hear him.

That was _his_ voice. She'd recognize it anywhere. Especially when he was saying her name.

This was not good. He knew. He knew she was here. He knew she was watching him. Oh, dear God, what else did he know?


	2. In Which Faith Must Be Believed In

Study Hall. A good 40 minutes in which students were left unsupervised to do homework. Not that most were doing their homework.

Faith frowned as she stared over at Hiwatari in the front of the room. Her homework was in front of her, but like most of the class, she was dutifully ignoring it. Unlike the rest of the class, she had a worried eye on her classmate. Something was...wrong...

"Niwa-kun?" she asked softly, looking over at the redhead. He, like Hiwatari, was actually trying to do homework. Such a good boy.

He turned to look at her. "Did you say something?" he asked politely.

She nodded towards Hiwatari. "Doesn't Satoshi seem a little...off?"

Daisuke frowned and looked over at his old nemesis in the front of the room. "He seems fine to me. Why?" he asked, looking back at her.

Faith's frown just deepened. She shook her head. "No, he's...he's not..." She narrowed her eyes, watching him closely.

To most people, Hiwatari did, indeed, seem perfectly normal. For him. He was calmly working on his homework at his desk. He didn't seem to have a care in the world.

But Faith could see more. The way he hesitated for just an instant every three words he wrote. The slight change in how he turned the pages of his textbook.

She trained her blue eyes onto his back. She stared into it.

There was a small lump on the side.

Her eyes widened and she shot out of her seat. Daisuke jumped at the suddenness.

"Hiro-san!?" he asked, looking up at her.

"Let's go, Niwa," she said, giving him a sharp look before charging straight for Hiwatari's desk.

Her suddenness had attracted everyone's attention. The classroom stared as she walked to Hiwatari's desk and grabbed his arm. "Satoshi!" she said, jerking him forcefully.

He blinked and looked up at her, dragged out of his chair only because he had not expected to be grabbed so suddenly. But he pulled back once he was standing.

"What?" he asked, confused.

"Now." She pulled harder-harder than the small, frail girl should be able to-and he reluctantly obeyed.

Daisuke watched her walk Hiwatari out of the room, just as confused as everyone else.

"NIWA!"

Faith's yell made him jump. "Coming!" he called awkwardly and he smiled to everyone that was now staring at him and hurried out of the room.

Faith led the two of them to the art room. She slammed and locked the doors shut behind her and glared at the boys.

"Bring them out," she said. The boys shared a puzzled look. "Bring them out right now so I can kill them both."

"What're you talking about?" Hiwatari asked in that slow, calm voice of his. Sometimes his voice just made her want to calm down and see things his way. Sometimes it just pissed her off more.

She took a step towards them, shaking a finger at them. "Dark and Krad. Now."

Daisuke almost gasped in shock. "H-how do you-"

"Now!"

"I-I-I mean, let's not-"

"Niwa," Faith said, her voice getting lower. "Now."

 _Just do it, Daisuke._ His voice was like music to Faith's ears. But it wasn't meant for her to hear. She kept up her stubborn look. _We won't find out what this is all about until we do._

She watched as Daisuke's expression calmed and his body transformed to that of Phantom Thief Dark.

"So what's up, babe?" Dark asked casually. Faith ignored him and turned on Hiwatari.

He was clutching his side, his expression strained. But he stared right back at her. "Satoshi," she said expectantly.

"Why do you want them?" he asked.

"I told you so I can kill them!" she replied.

"OK, let's not be too hasty about that killing thing," Dark said. "I mean, we are on school property."

"Satoshi," Faith insisted. "Now."

He shook his head.

Faith closed her eyes and counted to three as slowly as she could. Didn't work.

"He's tearing you apart," she told Hiwatari.

He shook his head again. "I can-"

"Not for long, you can't!" she yelled at him. "At least let him out here and now where I can contain him."

"You?" Dark asked, stepping up to her with a laugh. "Yeah, totally, let the little girl with the heart murmur-AHHHHH"

His sentence was cut short as blue paint came out of her outstretched hand and hit Dark square in the chest. It expanded and knocked him against the wall, sticking him there. He struggled, but they held fast. "WHAT THE HELL!?" he yelled. Faith was glaring at him.

"I'm not just some human girl with a heart condition," she said before rounding on Hiwatari again. "Let him out."

Hiwatari glared back at her, but a second later he let out a groan and fell to his knees. A moment later, Krad was was up in the air, grinning egotistically like he does.

"You've just made a big mistake, little girl," he said with a laugh. He held his arm out towards her.

Before he had a chance to do anything more, the paint pinning Dark released him and went for Krad. It was Krad's turn to be stuck bound against a wall.

Krad grimaced as he struggled against the paint. And failed. Even his magic wouldn't work. "What are you!?" he demanded.

"And what do you want?" Dark asked as he walked up to the girl.

She rounded on Dark. "I want you to get a clue!" she said. She quickly turned back to Krad. "And I want _you_ dead!"

Despite the situation, Krad laughed. "Well, my dear, it's not exactly going to be easy to-" More blue paint shot from her finger and flew to attach itself on Krad's mouth, effectively shutting him up.

 _I think I like this chick_ , Dark noted to Daisuke with a laugh. Again, not meant for Faith to hear. But she heard everything. She turned back to him. "A clue about what?" Dark asked.

"About yourself, Dark," she replied. "And who you really are. And what your real job is."

"OK, but what makes you think you know anything about me?"

"How about the fact that I'm the reason your sorry ass is on this planet! You've embarrassed the Hell out of me ever since you stepped foot here!"

"You're crazy," he said, rolling his eyes. "I'm a-"

"Your mind was wiped!" she said. "Krad's was, too. It was the only way I could get them to let you do this job."

Dark shook his head. "What are you talking about?" he asked, disbelieving.

"The Court of the Archangels," she said before rolling her eyes with a sigh. "Here." She reached into a pocket in her skirt and pulled out a crystal. It was the same dark blue as her magical paint was. She held it flat in her hand and it began to glow. Soon enough, what looked like a holographic image appeared over top of it. The image was of a girl with blue hair standing, encircled by people that stood (or sat?) behind tall podiums, raising them high above her. Something about the girl...something drew him to her. A familiarity. Like he used to know her so well...

"Faith, face it," one of them began to say, "he's not-"

"He's not what you think he is!" the girl in the center argued. Her emotions radiated the same energy and Keiko. "If you haven't noticed, he's ripped himself in HALF just to be a better person!"

"That doesn't excuse him from what he's done," another person said. "He needs to be disciplined."

"That's not discipline!" she said, turning to the other one.

"It's our only option," yet another one said. "The only way to keep everyone safe."

The girl sighed. "Let him go to Earth," she suggested. The people around her stared at her. "That's where Nadil's hiding out. Let him defeat Nadil. Save Earth. He will prove to you that he's not who you think he is!"

"Let him near Nadil!?" the first person asked. "Are you crazy!?"

"If he doesn't take to Nadil himself," the second one pointed out, "Nadil will seek him out and influence him. You know how well Nadil can-"

"He won't!" the girl insisted. "Please! Give him another chance."

The room was silent for a moment that felt like eternity. Finally, a person that had not yet spoken made the decision.

"He will go to Earth," he said. "His job will be to defeat Nadil. But," his eyes narrowed down hard at the girl, "his mind will be wiped. He will have no memory of this life. He will learn what he needs on his journey."

Another eternity of silence. The girl kept her eyes downcast, biting her lip.

"Adjourned," the final person said.

The image faded, as did the crystal's glow.

Dark frowned. "That has nothing to do with-" as he looked up, Keiko wasn't Keiko anymore. Instead, she was the girl in the crystal. Her brown hair was now blue like the crystal, and her skin had a much more healthy tint to it.

She was staring at him intently.

"The bastards didn't even let you in on your own hearing," she said. "And just to add insult to injury, they gave you some bullshit backstory for you to think you remember and make it even harder to learn what your real job is."

"This is getting old," he said, rolling his eyes. He refused to admit the growing feeling of familiarity he had with her. "You kids need to get to class."

Daisuke didn't let him off the hook so easily, though. _Dark, you know her, don't you?_ , he asked.

Dark frowned. _I don't know what you're talking about_ , he insisted.

 _I can feel it, too_ , Daisuke argued. _You know you know her_.

"Please, Dark," Faith said. He blinked and looked back up at her. Those eyes...

"Fine," he said with a sigh. "I'll play along. Where's this Nadil character?"

Faith's smile brightened the entire room. She jumped up and hugged Dark tight. After a shocked moment, he hugged her back.

When she pulled away, she said, "Nadil's power is growing every day." She let go of him and stepped away so her arms could flail easily as she spoke. "He's almost ready to attack. He's going to gather all of the energy and power he can suck from the planet. We don't know what he's going to do with it, but he's one of the most famous and dangerous demons out there. So you're not ready to fight him yet. We need to train." She began to pace as she thought. "School days are out. Daisuke and Satoshi need their education. But weekends, holidays. Every single day off we will train." She paused a moment to look him square in the eye. "Do not ever make me go looking for you. You will regret it." She continued to pace. "Your magic is strong but not strong enough. We need to get Daisuke strong enough to handle the stress. We-"

 _Faith_. His laughter echoed in her mind. _You really think this child can measure up to me? You're in for a rude awakening, darling._


	3. In Which Faith is Not Just Some Girl

Faith gasped for breath as her heart struggled to beat again.

"Keiko!"

She looked up to see Dark holding her shoulders. She was on her knees, her blue hair now brown and spilling over her shoulders.

"Keiko, what happened?" Dark asked her urgently. She closed her eyes and took several deep breaths.

"Nothing," she said. "I'm fine."

"I don't think you are," Dark noted.

"I said I'm fine!" she almost shouted at him. She pushed him away and finally faced a very impatient Krad, still on the wall gagged by her magic. "You will be banished from this world, Krad!" she said, pointing an angry finger at him. "I'm sick of you and all your shit! Next time you take Satoshi's body against his will I'll kill you!" With an angry wave of her arm, her magic paint released him. Naturally, Krad immediately responded, rushing straight towards her.

Dark jumped in front of her. "Krad, no!" he cried. He wasn't sure why, but he couldn't stand the thought of anything happening to Keiko.

But Krad never reached them. A blue aura shot out from behind Dark, encircling him so as not to attack him but, rather, Krad. Krad yelled in pain as it enveloped him and bound him in mid-air. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?" Krad cried as he struggled against the magic.

"Binding you," Faith said calmly. Dark turned to see the girl standing, holding a blue feather between her fingers ceremoniously as she was focused intently on Krad. "You'll stay safe and sound inside Satoshi's body until he can banish you himself." She glanced over at Dark. "Move."

Reluctantly, Dark obeyed, and stepped out of the line of fire.

"You can't bind me!" Krad said pompously, despite his less-than-pompous position. "You don't have the power!"

"You know nothing," she said softly. Before Krad could say anymore, the aura surrounded him so he was no longer recognizable. After a moment, everything calmed down, and the blue aura began to dissipate. On the floor beneath where Krad had been floating now sat Hiwatari, trying to catch his breath.

"I guess you are more than just some girl with a heart condition," Dark said, still pretty awestruck at the great power Faith had just used. She glared back at him. "Hey, it was a compliment!" he said.

Faith made her way over to Hiwatari and kneeled in front of him. "He's contained now," she informed him as he caught his breath. Slowly, he looked up at her. "But not for very long. Even if I had access to all my power I wouldn't be able to contain him forever." She shrugged. "That's kinda how these things work. But he should stay bound long enough for you to build your strength. You can banish him from your body, Satoshi."

He just gazed steadily at her. "That's not how it works," he said.

"I told you," she reminded him, "his mind was wiped when he came to Earth and cursed your family. The Hikaris and Niwas were given fake information from fake memories. This is *your* body, Satoshi. *You* decide what happens to it." She held her hand out to him.

"What are you?" he asked.

"An angel," Dark said quietly, stepping closer to them. Faith blinked and looked over at him. "You're an angel, aren't you?"

Faith gave a small grin. "How did you know?"

Dark frowned as he thought. "I don't...know. I just... When your hair changed color, and your skin..." He blinked when he saw her eyes begin to water. "Hey, c'mon! Don't cry!"

Faith just grinned and shook her head. "C'mon, Satoshi," she said, turning back to him. Slowly, Hiwatari nodded and took her hand, standing with her.

"You're starting to remember, Dark," she said, her back to him as she headed towards the doors. "Keep it up."

Dark watched her reach for the doorknob. What was he remembering?

*Wait,* Daisuke said, sounding slightly nervous. Faith stopped short, her hand on the doorknob. *We were making a lot of noise in here. Didn't anyone hear us?*

'Oh, yeah,' Dark thought. "Hey, Keiko-"

Faith grinned. "Dark, we have to get back to class. Let Daisuke back, please." With that, she turned the knob and opened the door.

There was no hallway on the other side. There was nothing, in fact, except swirling, green aura. Faith placed her hand in it.

"Thank you, Chronos," she called before stepping through it.

Hiwatari stared at it before looking back at Daisuke, who had transformed just in time to see her go. He walked up beside him.

"I think we just got involved in something bigger than we've ever known..." Daisuke noted.

"I think you're right..." Hiwatari agreed. With a deep breath, both boys stepped into the green aura and back into their school.

The three re-entered the classroom together. Faith ignored the stares and questions, as did Hiwatari. Daisuke, however, had no such strength. He chuckled nervously and rubbed the back of his head. "We were just...uhm...talking..." he told Saehara and his friends.

"Talking about what?" Saehara pressed. "What was so secret that you had to talk about even though it was only five minutes?"

"Five minutes?" Daisuke asked nervously. "It was only five minutes?"

"Crazy how time flies, isn't it, Niwa?" Faith chimed in, looking pointedly over at him.

*She must have had something to do with that,* Dark noted to Daisuke. Daisuke gave a small nod. "Yeah, crazy," he said.

"SO?" Saehara insisted. "What was it about!?"

"Well, uh, you see-"

"If you have to know, Saehara," Faith went on impatiently, "it's about a surprise for Riku-kun and Risa-kun's birthday."

Saehara blinked and looked over at her. "The Haradas' birthday?" he asked. "But that's not for another couple weeks."

She glared at him. "Do you know how long it takes to paint a quality piece of artwork?" she asked him. "Satoshi, Niwa, and I are the best artists in the school. I thought it would be nice for the three of us to put our heads together and do something special for them."

Saehara frowned. "That's so boring," he noted.

'Yeah,' Daisuke thought to himself, 'but now we need to think of something special to make for the Haradas.'

*Looks like Keiko's already working on that part, though,* Dark pointed out. *Look at her. The wheels in her head are already turning.* Daisuke looked over at his classmate and realized that his other half was right. She was intently focused on her paper as she drew on the back of her notes


End file.
